Spool for photographic film processing machines



S P 1952 w. E. MILLER 2,608,876

SPOOL FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM PROCESSING MACHINES Filed July 10, 1950 v 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 FIG. I

INVENTOR. WILLIAM E. MILLER AT ORNEYS P 1952 w. E. MILLER 2,608,876

SPOOL FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM PROCESSING MACHINES Filed July 10, 1950 2 SI-IEETSSl-IEET 2 INVENTOR. WILLIAM E. MILLER ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 2, 1952 fm i rnoroemrme FILM TROCE'SSING MACHINES William .MilleniHudmn, Ohio, as-si ne t grime Morse :Imtrument Company, Hudson, 011m, a

'corporation f 0 i'n plicatio'n ammo, 1950, SetialN-0. 1 72369 '7 eGlaims;

'p'res'e'rit invention relaxes to improvements in maxi-nines for the processing or long lengths oFphotQgrapniefiImS-and is particularly intended 110 meet the demands of the armed for'eesfor'a mecha-msm that Willi-be readily adaptable for handling the two' standard widths of which are employed. The armed i orce's' have standardized --upon two film widths, the wider film being 35 firm-and the narrower-'16 mm. In the lproe- -essin'g--ef thes'e -they aretreated i machines 'e'quipped with numerous gfiide rollers wh-iohleon- "duet the films, in vertical loops, 'bhrough :th'e v'a'rious baths. In mahi-nes o'f this type, the reiler'sor=spoo1s-overwvhieh the films are g'nided "are mounted --on vertically movable carriages, *w'hieh are raised and' lowered inaoeordanoewith *t'he standard practices.

These -pre'eessin'g *ma hines-are required te oe adaptable tor widths of film and, as the 16 mm. film is more extensively employed, the guiding rollers -Or spools should be eonstrueted so as retake-a maximum of anat width Hereto 'fore, -'th'e -task of changing the spoolsto accommodate thedemanGS ror differing widths-of films fh'a's been troublesome alne'l time consuming.

I1; isfithe olo'je'ct of the present invention-to evise a rman -0f spool which is adapted for r -and easy ehangeever dram-one wid-th ref 1 1m to the-other. I-tis'al'soandbjet of the-invention provide a *fi'im spool that may b'e r'eadily hamged to accommodate either (1) -a wide-or-35 '-mm.-iilm; -('2-)-two narrow or 1-6 mm, films; or (3) one narro'w film.- By designing a spool in which the severai requirements may be met without keeping the processing machines out ofproduction for 1ofig periods, the proeessing of fiim is speeded *up and the product-ion -o' f any mac'h'in'e=durmg-"a'given- 1ength' of -tiine is greatly increased. it is also an object o the invention "to combine with the new form --of spool -a device the {carriage whioh will present a 'film from 'leaving s-igro'ove or seat in a ennel and -*inter- *feringwith anadji ae'eiit 'film on the spool.

'Tne invention is shown' herein imits 'env iron- %eeraet-i ea. Wh'iie the* erfeetedand reierred embodimentni theinirfition -is-s'h'c* wn "in detail, changes and modificafiiorrs may bemadewi thout *depar'ting ili'lim'l."13116 8SSilliiiialil features of the -'invention asset faith in the appended elaims. :While' the dimensions stated are those e'u'rrently in nsezfor narrm or wide him,:the dim'ensionsare, "of cour'se, ohan'geani'e :to suit changed specifieazmans. V K n 7 1 :.'the drawings; in which ;the :preferred -.form

0! the invention is shown: r

1mm, fil, 70133- single I B-mm fiIm.

:F'i-g. 2 ;is ajsimilar w iew partly in seetioannthe line 2-2 of Fig. 3, showing the spool :asit is set up for'aceommodat ng swan-arr w ii m Fi 13 is a side view o -the c mp it 1 091 th :dotted lines jshowingtthe :n-ian-ner in w-h-ieh the 'f l l to v, .7 .7 "Fig- A :=1s a :s otion of "the .s i m nt red mm 'thei'mai; body. I h

triers imam m ion of atypica ca oeeesue .as-usedintherroc ssinezmach e s ui edwiih :the uarn which even sth i i-1111s ifrom 1 7, 1m :t-ne traclgszprovided ior them.

:Eig.:6 is a side view -of1the-. carriage.' Y Ref;err;ing;firs;t to Efigsfiandda txpical carriage :oomprisesa-Ueshaped frame l=,-lwhich issupporte d iupo upper-and lower sspac ra r f pinsz o awhi-chgaramounted flanged rollersd movableerer :a vertical rail or track 5 located-in the: side pf the processing machine. The track is braced-at its lower :end Joy a braeket fi. To the ear-riage is attached a :link 4 8, the slower ,end of whioh is v-conneeted=to=atbracket H at thetsideofthe ear- ;riageand by which thee-carriage ,mayfbe ,ra'isedpr flowered. ltwill beunderstoodthatinaeomplete roeess-ing-=maehine there rare a numberro'f ltaiiks or42h mb s-.t. ro-ueh t e lm ras es snecessionahdhat there are numerou'stoarriages in each 0f ithese chambers and the -necess 5y :au dne ro at theto o ea chamber sow-that the films are guided in numerouswerticalgloqps in each'o is id rhambe s wm mE u o i har -.;oed-i;11:e adopted and used. .It will therefore Joe :seen that-th task of oo v rti- --machin" 1 this type-from one-film widthtQanQther-ponsnnies :mnch valuable -time and, Joy :redneing 111e, time -f-or chan eover andmak nglt mo e flexibl he i nt o erat d-t lbe way heroes the two .arms of a carriage is located ;-a ,hor-izontal-t -shait |;5 held position hammer pins IE or the like, Ini'QFigVLE-3thespacin -bf he parallel arms of the earr'i'age .is ;s1'1eh.that spools may (be acco modated and; toijlliist'rate I :theyflexibi'lity-o f the eguipxnent, {the middle spool isshownin the cond v 0 marrow films.AAg" thespool toth right igeee ,gnetwiclefilm Bandthe spool to th'elef on rnar wfilmzfie Theseveralls'pools rated joy washers [8 {over v'the shaft. J mime-c rr a may hera ter d t oo egreater or 1es ser -num;ber of,-fl1m sped Located within thevertieal arms of the" earstances.

riage is a second U-shaped frame, indicated generally by the numeral 28, the function of which is to prevent the films from leaving their proper channels in the spools. During the processing, the films are apt to have some fullness and it is necessary to provide means to prevent migration of a film out of its path. As will be noted in the full description of the spool, when the spool is set to receive two narrow films, the dividing rib between the two narrow film passages or tracks is of somewhat larger diameter than the outside flanges.

The main portion of the frame 23, which lies under the spools is closely spaced from the outer rims of the spools, but it is provided with three depressions or offsets 2! to clear the raised rim of an insert on a spool in any location on the shaft l5. The frame is anchored to the main carriage by a removable pin 23 which passes through the central depression 2| and into a keeper 24 attached to the horizontal arm of the carriage. Angular plates 22 provided with upstanding flanges 22a are secured to the frame 26 and lie between adjacent spools to prevent the film on one spool from passing over to an adjacent spool.

The spool construction is shown in Figs. 1 to 4. These spools are preferably made of Bakelite or any other suitable plastic material for the sake of economy in manufacture and to reduce the weight of the equipment. Each spool comprises a central or body portion 25, which is cored out at to be received over the shaft 45. The

contour of this spool center is shown in Fig. 1.

The spool has the two marginal flanges 28, the height of which is sufficient to prevent the film from leaving the spool under normal circum- The inner opposed surfaces of the flangesare tapered, as at 29, to points where they meet the two cylindrical port-ions 30. The width between the flanges at their bases is that of the wider film, which, as explained, is currently mm. The surfaces or ledges 30 are of suflicient the spool and the film.

When the spool is in the condition shown in Figql, it will receive and guide the wide film, as

shown at the right of Fig. 5, or a single narrow jfilm, as shown at the left in the same view.

As explained above, the narrow film is used in much greater quantities than the wider film and the spool is designed so that it may be readily converted to take two narrow films. For this purpose, there'is provided an insert which is shown in position in Fig. 2 and separated from the main spool body in Fig. i.

Theinsert, which is given the general numeral 35, consists of a base portion 35, the inner cont-ourjof which fits the surfaces 30, 3|, and 32,

and partway up the surfaces 29. The center of the insert is formed with a central spacing and dividing rib 31- having walls 39 tapered to correspond to the walls 29, and serving to form twochannels-for the narrow films. At the 'base 'of the surfaces 39, on each side of the mid-rib Q'l, are the twocylindrical ledges 49 whichsup 4 port the edges of the narrow films with the relief areas 6| at the center of each channel.

The insert is removable from the main body of the spool so that the conversion from one type to the other may be easily done. The insert is split diametrically, as shown in Fig. 3, the two sections being united by a hinge member 44 set in the mid-rib, as shown in Fig. 2. To hold the insert in position on the spool body, any type of clamp may be employed, but a simple solution is to provide the edge of the mid-rib 31 with a groove 45 in which is seated an endless rubber ring or grommet 46. For convenience, the edges of the flanges 28 are also grooved, as shown at 41, so that the ring may be held therein when not in use. In general practice, two rings 46 are furnished with each spool, so that the operator will have a spare which may be conveniently held in one of the grooves in the spool body.

It will be seen that in making the change from the spool of the type shown in Fig. 1 to the double channel type shown in Fig. 2, all that is required is to seat the insert in its place on the spool body and snap one of the rubber ring into the groove therein. The change may be accomplished without removing the spool from the carriage.

What is claimed is:

1. A spool for the uses and purposes set forth, comprising a main spool body, flanges on the ends of the spool body defining a main channel adapted for guiding a relatively wide strip passing over the spool, a second narrow channel depressed below the base of the main channel adapted for guiding a relatively narrow strip passing over the spool, a removable insert seated in the main channel and a centrally located rib on said insert which with the flanges form two channels for guiding relatively narrow strips passing over the spool when the insert is located on the spool.

2. A spool for the uses and purposes set forth, comprising a main spool body, flanges on the ends of the spool body defining a main channel adapted for guiding a relatively wide strip passing over the spool, a second narrow channel depressed below the base of the main channel adapted for guiding a relatively narrow strip passing over the spool, a removable insert seated in the main channel and a centrally located rib on said insert which, with the flanges, form two channels for guiding relatively narrow strips passing over the spool when the insert is located on the spool, said insert having outer surfaces to support said narrow stripsas they pass over the spool.

3. A spool for the uses and purposes set forth, comprising a spool body, flanges at the ends of the spool body defining a channel adapted to receive and guide a relatively wide strip passing over the spool, and a removable insert positionable in the channel and surrounding the spool, said insert being provided with a rib of greater diameter than the flanges, said rib and said flanges defining two separate channels of narrow width when the insert is located on the spool and a guard overlying thespool to prevent escape of strips from said channels, said guard having a recessed portion to receive the rib.

4.. A spool for use with apparatus for treating wide and narrow films selectively, said spool having a main body, flanges on the ends of said body, ledges at the bases of said flanges adapted to support the edges of a relatively wide film passing over the spool, a removable insert located between the flanges, said insert having an'outstanding rib, which with the flanges defines two separate narrow channels when the insert is located on the spool, and ledges on the insert at either side of the rib to support the edges of relatively narrow films, and means to hold the insert around the main body.

5. A spool for use with apparatus for treating wide and narrow films selectively, said spool having a main body, flanges on the ends of said body, ledges at the bases of said flanges adapted to support the edges of a relatively wide film passing over the spool, a relatively narrow channel between said ledges, said narrow channel having ledges adapted to support the edges of a relatively narrow film, a removable insert located between said flanges, said insert having an outstanding rib which with the flanges defines two separate narrow channels and ledges on the insert at either side of the rib to support theedges of relatively narrow films when the insert is located on the spool, and means to hold the insert around the main body.

6. A spool for the uses and purposes set forth comprising a one-piece spool body, flanges integral with the spool body and located at the ends thereof, and a removable insert positionable between the flanges, said flanges when the insert is removed defining a channel for a relatively wide strip passing over the spool, said insert being divided so that it may be positioned over the spool body and provided with a rib which with the flanges defines two separate channels of relatively narrow width when the insert is located on the spool.

7. A spool for the uses and purposes set forth comprising a one-piece spool body, flanges integral with the spool body and located at the ends thereof, and a removable insert positionable between the flanges, said flanges when the in sert is removed defining a relatively wide channel to receive and guide a relatively wide strip passing over the spool, said insert fitting between the flanges, said insert being provided with a centrally located projecting rib which when the insert is in position defines with the flanges two separate channels for receiving and guiding two relatively narrow strips, said insert being in sections so that it may be located around the spool, and means to hold the sections of the insert together when in position on the spool.

WILLIAM E. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,882,413 Edouart Oct. 11, 1932 2,427,172 Williams Sept. 9, 1947 

